Health, Safety & Travel Insurance
Thailand is an easy, friendly place to travel with a few sensible precautions. The biggest real risks are scooters and the heat, not crime.
Armed clashes along parts of the Thailand-Cambodia border through 2025 ended in a ceasefire on December 27, 2025.[1] It is holding, but the frontier stays tense and every land crossing between the two countries is still closed, so fly if you are pairing Thailand with Cambodia. Most governments advise against travel within 50 km (30 miles) of the border, including the disputed temple areas in the northeast (Preah Vihear and Ta Muen Thom, near Sisaket, Surin and Ubon Ratchathani), and remote strips can hold landmines and unexploded ordnance.[2] Thai authorities can declare exclusion zones at short notice, so follow military and police instructions and check your government’s advisory before you go. Thailand’s main tourist regions, Bangkok, the north, the islands, Kanchanaburi and Khao Yai, are far from this and unaffected.
Get Proper Travel Insurance
Thailand has excellent private hospitals, but care is paid up front and can be costly. Comprehensive travel insurance that covers medical treatment, motorbike accidents, and emergency evacuation is strongly recommended. Keep a digital copy of the policy and the assistance hotline on your phone.
A Little Prep
Vaccinations
See a travel clinic four to six weeks ahead. Routine vaccinations plus, often, Hepatitis A and typhoid are suggested. There are no COVID entry rules in 2026, and malaria is low-risk in most tourist areas.[3]
Insurance & activities
Make sure your policy covers the things you will actually do: diving, scooters, and adventure day trips are common exclusions on cheap plans.
Medication
Bring what you need with a copy of the prescription. Pharmacies are widespread and well-stocked for minor needs and advice.
Staying Healthy on the Road
Eat smart
Drink bottled or filtered water, which is cheap and everywhere. Busy stalls cooking fresh, hot food are generally a safe bet. Ease into the spice rather than diving straight in.
Mind the sun
Hydrate, slow down at midday, and wear sunscreen. Use mosquito repellent at dawn and dusk, especially in the rainy season.
The real risk
Motorbike accidents are the most common serious injury for visitors.[4] Always wear a helmet, and only ride if you are licensed, experienced, and insured for it.
Respect the water
Watch warning flags, ask about currents, and heed jellyfish notices in season. Conditions change fast on both coasts.
Numbers Worth Keeping
Thailand’s Laws, Made Simple
The ones that catch first-timers out, drugs, vapes, alcohol hours, and respect for the monarchy, plus what you can and cannot bring through customs. A short, practical read.
Read the laws guide →More First-Timer Guides
Written by Belle, a Thai American who travels to Thailand every other year and has family in Bangkok. Fees, journey times and rankings were rechecked on August 1, 2026, against the numbered sources below. Brand mentions are never paid placements, and the guide is reader-supported: some links may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
How we research →- 1Thailand-Cambodia border advisory, US Embassy Bangkok. Supports: the December 27, 2025, ceasefire and that every land crossing between Thailand and Cambodia remains closed.
- 2Thailand travel advice, UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Supports: the 50 km advisory zone, the named disputed temple areas, and the landmine and unexploded ordnance warnings.
- 3Thailand traveler health information, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Supports: the four-to-six-week travel clinic window, Hepatitis A and typhoid recommendations, the absence of COVID entry rules, and low malaria risk in most tourist areas.
- 4Global status report on road safety, World Health Organization. Supports: that motorbike crashes are the most common serious injury among visitors.
- 5Emergency contacts, Tourism Authority of Thailand. Supports: Tourist Police 1155, police 191, and that ambulance line 1669 is free to call.